Waste management for single-use coffee cups. (Getty Images)

Environment: Single-Use Coffee Cup is Generating a Mountain of Waste

Kinanty Nadia Putri
Editorial
Opinion
Aug 14, 2019
3160
Coffee lovers, now real talk, those single-use coffee cups from each of your coffee-drinking ritual are not so environmentally friendly.

Caroline Wood from the University of Sheffield tells us why: It’s because most paper recycling mills can’t efficiently process paper coffee cups, which means after you finish your coffee and throw the cups away, the majority will likely be incinerated or sent to landfill.

But the worst part has come even during the making of your paper cups which they’re typically made from virgin tree fiber. It’s actually more hygienic than using recycled paper.

On one hand, the growing number of coffee shops around the world isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the industry is providing jobs and sustaining coffee growers in developing countries.

On the other hand, however, due to the high demand for paper cups from coffee shops to serve their customers, our forests will continue to suffer as well—if not forever.

If coffee shops stay on this path, can you imagine how many mountains of the way they generate?

Then how can we help, either as customers or businesses, to prevent this? Here’s a list you can follow.

- PREVENTING WASTE -

Preventing waste is the first priority in the waste hierarchy.

You now that many major coffee shops now offer discounts to customers who bring their own reusable cups. You should join the movement, not only for the discount itself but for the mother earth. This may be difficult at first since you probably have no time to wash it after using it. But it feels so right to get a discount while doing your good deed for the environment.

You can also ask for a ceramic mug when you decide to dine in.

- CORPORATE COMING TOGETHER -

Coffee shops should be willing to do cup recycling. The project can make great progress to contribute as the company social responsibility. For instance, Costa Coffee pays a US$84 to waste collectors for each ton of coffee cups recycled that providing economic incentive while increasing the company’s value by 150 percent. It’s a win-win solution.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/paper-coffee-cups-heap-mountain-waste-carbon-footprint-11804772

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